George Washington's views on religion
New West Network has an article about Washington's religious views.There is virtually no evidence in Washington's writings to indicate a firm commitment to the Christian religion. Writing to Lafayette with regard to religious toleration, he states: "Being no bigot myself, I am disposed to indulge the professors of Christianity in the church with that road to Heaven, which to them shall seem the most direct, plainest, easiest, and least liable to exception."The author goes on to say
All in all, the evidence shows that George Washington was a religious liberal who believed in God as impersonal Providence. He probably did not believe in any of the doctrines of Christian orthodoxy. In a famous sermon delivered in 1831, Bird Wilson declared that Washington, along with all the other early presidents, was no more than a Unitarian. As a life long Unitarian I am pleased to be associated with this great American.
posted by Paul Wilczynski @ 6:53 AM
2 Comments:
a religous liberal slave holder...
And your point is? :)
I try very hard not to make value judgements about people who lived several hundred years ago.
Remember that Article I, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution says, in part, "Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons".
Constitutionally, slaves were only considered worth 3/5 of a Person. That was then. This is now.
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